Component Carrier Tape

ABSTRACT

A component carrier tape includes a longitudinal flexible strip having a plurality of component receiving pockets positioned therein. The component carrier tape further includes a plurality of indicators positioned longitudinally on the longitudinal strip and configured for indicating the position of each of the plurality of pockets. The indicators are positioned between adjacent pockets.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/756627, filed Dec. 20, 2005, the disclosure of whichis incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to carrier tapes of the kindhaving a plurality of pockets spaced longitudinally on the tape foraccommodating components therein. More particularly, the inventionrelates to carrier tapes with pocket position indicators.

BACKGROUND

In general, carrier tapes that are used to hold and transport componentsare well known. For example, in the field of electronics circuitassembly, electronic components are often carried from a supply ofcomponents to a specific location on a circuit board for attachmentthereto. The components may be of several different types, includingsurface mount components. Particular examples include memory chips,integrated circuit chips, resistors, connectors, processors, capacitors,gate arrays, etc.

Rather than manually affixing each individual electronic component to acircuit board, the electronics industry makes extensive use of roboticplacement machines, sometimes known as “pick-and-place” machines, thatgrasp a component at a specific location (i.e., from the carrier tape)and place it at another specific location (i.e., on a printed circuitboard). Grasping of the components is commonly accomplished with avacuum pick-up device that grasps the top of the component by suction.Robotic placement equipment is typically programmed to repeat a precisesequence of movements in every cycle. For electronic component assembly,the robotic equipment may be programmed to grasp a memory chip, forexample, and place it in a specific location on a circuit board. Toensure the sustained operation of the robotic placement machine, acontinuous supply of electronic components must be furnished to themachine at a predetermined rate and location. It is therefore importantthat each component be located in the same position (i.e., the point atwhich the robotic placement machine grasps the component) as eachpreceding and succeeding component.

A common way to provide a continuous supply of electronic components torobotic placement equipment is to use a component carrier tape.Conventional component carrier tapes generally comprise elongated stripsthat have a series of identical pockets formed at predetermined,uniformly spaced intervals along the length of the tape. The pockets areeach designed to receive an electronic component therein. Frequently,the pockets are sized to match a particular component. The componentmanufacturer typically loads components into the series of pockets.After components are placed in the pockets, a cover is applied over theelongated strip to retain the components in their respective pockets.The loaded carrier tape is wound into a roll or onto a reel, and thentransported from the component manufacturer to another manufacturer orassembler, where the roll of carrier tape may be mounted within sometype of assembly equipment. The carrier tape is typically unwound fromthe roll and automatically advanced toward a robotic pick-up location.Advancement of the carrier tape is commonly accomplished using a seriesof through-holes uniformly spaced along one or both edges of theelongated strip forming the carrier tape. The through-holes receive theteeth of a drive sprocket that advances the tape toward the roboticplacement machine. Eventually, the cover is stripped from the carriertape, the components are removed from the pockets and then placed ontothe circuit board.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the invention described herein provides a componentcarrier tape having a longitudinal flexible strip, a plurality ofpockets longitudinally positioned in the longitudinal strip, and aplurality of indicators. Each pocket is configured for receiving acomponent therein. The indicators are configured for indicating theposition of the pockets, and are positioned longitudinally on thelongitudinal strip between adjacent pockets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one embodiment of acomponent carrier tape according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top view of the exemplary embodiment of acomponent carrier tape according to the present invention illustrated inFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments,reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form part hereof.The accompanying drawings show, by way of illustration, specificembodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural orlogical changes may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is notto be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention isdefined by the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, one embodiment of a component carriertape according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Theillustrated component carrier tape is particularly useful for thestorage and delivery of electronic components by an advancementmechanism. FIG. 1 shows a fragmentary perspective view of the componentcarrier tape, with an optional cover thereof having been partiallyremoved to show components stored within pockets of the carrier tape.The component has been omitted from the leading pocket to show theinterior of the pocket more clearly.

A component carrier tape 100 comprises a longitudinal flexible strip 101defining a top surface 102 and a bottom surface 103 opposite the topsurface 102. The longitudinal flexible strip 101 includes parallellongitudinal edge surfaces 104 and 106, and a row of equally spacedadvancement holes 108 and 110 formed in and extending along one or bothedge surfaces. Advancement holes 108 and 110 provide a means forreceiving an advancement mechanism such as the teeth of a sprocket drive(not shown) for advancing component carrier tape 100 toward apredetermined location.

A plurality of pockets 112 is longitudinally positioned in thelongitudinal flexible strip 101, the pockets opening through the topsurface 102 of the strip portion. Within a given carrier tape, eachpocket 112 is usually essentially identical to the other pockets.Typically, the pockets 112 are aligned with each other and equallyspaced apart. In the illustrated embodiment, each pocket 112 includesfour side walls 114, each at generally right angles with respect to eachadjacent wall. Side walls 114 adjoin and extend downwardly from the topsurface 102 of the strip portion and adjoin bottom wall 116 to formpocket 112. Bottom wall 116 is generally planar and parallel to theplane of the longitudinal flexible strip 101. The transverse side walls114 of adjacent longitudinally positioned pockets 112 define crossbars117 that separate adjacent pockets 112.

Pockets 112 may be designed to conform to the size and shape of thecomponents that they are intended to receive. Alternately, pocket 112may have a generic design to readily accommodate components of varyingsizes and/or shapes. Although not specifically illustrated, the pocketsmay have more or less side walls than the four that are shown in thepreferred embodiment. In general, each pocket includes at least one sidewall 114 that adjoins and extends downwardly from the longitudinalflexible strip 101, and a bottom wall 116 that adjoins the side wall 114to form the pocket 112. Thus, the pockets 112 may be circular, oval,triangular, pentagonal, or have other shapes in outline. Each side wall114 may also be formed with a slight draft (i.e., a slant toward thecenter of the pocket) to facilitate insertion of the component, and toassist in releasing the pocket from a mold or forming die duringfabrication of the carrier tape. The depth of the pocket can also varydepending on the component that the pocket is intended to receive. Inaddition, the interior of the pockets 112 may be formed with ledges,ribs, pedestals, bars, rails, appurtenances, and other similarstructural features to better accommodate or support particularcomponents.

Although a single column of pockets 112 is illustrated in the drawings,two or more columns of aligned pockets could also be formed along thelength of the longitudinal flexible strip 101 to facilitate thesimultaneous delivery of multiple components. The columns of pocketscould be arranged parallel to each other with pockets in one columnbeing in aligned rows with the pockets in the adjacent column(s), asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,120. Alternately, the pockets inadjacent columns may be offset from each other, as described in U.S.Pat. No. 4,724,958.

In an exemplary embodiment of the component carrier tape according tothe present invention, the depth of the pockets 112 from the top surface102 of the longitudinal flexible strip 101 is greater than the thicknessof the longitudinal flexible strip 101.

Carrier tape 100 may optionally include a cover 120. The cover 120 isreleasably secured to the top surface 102 of the longitudinal flexiblestrip 101 applied over the pockets 112 of the component carrier tape 100to retain the components therein. An exemplary component 118 isschematically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The cover 120 can alsoprotect the components from dirt and other contaminants that couldinvade the pockets. As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 120 is flexible,overlies part or all of pockets 112, and is disposed between the rows ofadvancement holes 108 and 110 along the length of the longitudinalflexible strip 101. The cover 120 is releasably secured to the topsurface of the longitudinal flexible strip 101 so that it can besubsequently removed to access the stored components.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2, the component carrier tape 100 comprises a plurality ofindicators 200 positioned longitudinally on the longitudinal flexiblestrip 101 between adjacent pockets 112. The indicators are configuredfor indicating the position of each of the plurality of pockets 112. Inthe process of making the component carrier tape 100, the indicators 200and the pockets 112 may be formed simultaneously, which achieves ahighly repeatable and accurate position of each indicator 200 relativeto its corresponding pocket 112. This enables the video recognitionsystem of the robotic placement machine, after detection of theindicator 200, to highly repeatably and accurately detect the center ofthe corresponding pocket 112, which enables the robotic placementmachine to reliably pick the component out of the pocket or place thecomponent into the pocket.

Each of the plurality of indicators 200 may be a protrusion, recess,printed feature, or punched feature and may be substantially elliptical,oblong, or polygonal. In the exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the indicators 200 areelliptical protrusions.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the longitudinal flexible strip 101 mayoptionally include recessed surfaces 202. The recessed surfaces may bepositioned in the crossbars 117 that separate adjacent pockets 112. Eachof the plurality of indicators 200 may be positioned on a recessedsurface 202 of the longitudinal flexible strip 101. In case theindicators 200 positioned on the recessed surfaces 202 are protrusionsnot extending beyond the top surface 102 of the longitudinal flexiblestrip 101, the optional cover 120 may be releasably secured to the topsurface of the longitudinal flexible strip 101 without being deformed bythe protrusions.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described hereinfor purposes of description of the preferred embodiment, it will beappreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety ofalternate and/or equivalent implementations calculated to achieve thesame purposes may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown anddescribed without departing from the scope of the present invention.Those with skill in the mechanical, electromechanical, and electricalarts will readily appreciate that the present invention may beimplemented in a very wide variety of embodiments. This application isintended to cover any adaptations or variations of the preferredembodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended thatthis invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalentsthereof.

1. A component carrier tape comprising: a longitudinal flexible strip; aplurality of pockets longitudinally positioned in the longitudinal stripand each configured for receiving a component therein; and a pluralityof indicators positioned longitudinally on the longitudinal strip andconfigured for indicating the position of each of the plurality ofpockets, the plurality of indicators positioned between adjacentpockets.
 2. The component carrier tape of claim 1, wherein thelongitudinal strip has first and second parallel longitudinal edgesurfaces, and at least one of the edge surfaces includes a plurality ofequally spaced advancement holes for receiving an advancement mechanism.3. The component carrier tape of claim 1, further comprising a coverreleasably secured to a top surface of the longitudinal strip, extendingalong the strip, and covering the plurality of pockets.
 4. The componentcarrier tape of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pockets has adepth from a top surface of the longitudinal strip that is greater thanthe thickness of the longitudinal strip.
 5. The component carrier tapeof claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of indicators is a protrusion.6. The component carrier tape of claim 5, wherein the protrusion issubstantially elliptical.
 7. The component carrier tape of claim 5,wherein the protrusion is substantially oblong.
 8. The component carriertape of claim 5, wherein the protrusion is substantially polygonal. 9.The component carrier tape of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality ofindicators is a recess.
 10. The component carrier tape of claim 1,wherein each of the plurality of indicators is a printed feature. 11.The component carrier tape of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality ofindicators is a punched feature.
 12. The component carrier tape of claim1, wherein each of the plurality of indicators is positioned on arecessed surface of the longitudinal strip.
 13. The component carriertape of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of indicators is aprotrusion positioned on a recessed surface of the longitudinal strip.